Dear MITAC Customers,

NEW!
A Birding Talk: Changes in New England Bird Populations;
A Christmas Carol at the North Shore Music Theatre; & the Beauty and Joy of Pottery!
Plus, Boston Red Sox tickets; Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me! at Tanglewood;
Young Frankenstein at the Ogunquit Playhouse; Boston Dance Theatre; &
summer, movie & museum discounts. Check out our virtual events as well ~
Lighthouses, Herbs, Glass Flowers, Penny Whistles, Fishing, & Summer of Spice!
Auto captioning is available for our virtual talks.

TICKET DELIVERY
•Home Shipping for Physical Tickets. Will be shipped free-of-charge to your home address. Please allow 7-10 days for ticket delivery.
•Select vendors offering E-Tickets. Will be emailed by a member of the MITAC Team within 2 business days. E-tickets are not instant delivery. Your MITAC receipt does not serve as an e-ticket.

IMPORTANT NOTICE
MIT, including, MITAC, does not vet, represent or warrant the condition of any events, facilities or venues (the "Events") offered through MITAC, including, without limitation, sanitization, monitoring density or enforcement of CDC guidelines, or that they will be free from exposure to COVID-19.

STAY CONNECTED - VIRTUALLY! - WITH MITAC!
With the MITAC YouTube Channel and MITAC's Pet Gallery (submit your favorite
pet photo by July 12 for the chance to make your furry friend a star on the MITAC homepage!). If you are interested in sharing a hobby you have with others in the MIT community, please contact us at mitac-office@mit.edu. We'd be happy to help plan
a Zoom hobby talk for you!

CONTACT US
While the MITAC Ticket Offices at Stata and Lincoln Laboratory remain closed,
the MITAC team is available remotely Monday to Friday, 9 am to 5 pm, by email at
mitac-office@mit.edu or leave us a message at 617-253-7990.
We will be in touch with you ASAP.

Thank you,
The MITAC Team

LOCAL/NEW ENGLAND Virtual Resources
*=New Virtual Resources

The Beauty & History of Lighthouses

Tues., Aug. 10, 2pm. Free. Virtual Event.
Join Rick Koehler, member of the Friends of the Wood Island Lighthouse, and learn about the history of lighthouses from the Pharos at Alexandria (c 280 B.C.) to Roman and modern lighthouses. Discussion includes the importance of daymarks, the invention of the Fresnel lens, lighthouses of New England & more.
Sign up by Aug. 9

Enjoying Your Herbs & Garden Bounty

Wed, Aug. 18, 2pm. Free. Virtual Event.
Learn how to nurture your plants and harvest your herb crops. Plus, learn the ins and outs of freezing, drying & milling herbs; how to create herb blends; & more with
MIT Endicott House.
Sign up by Aug. 17

Glass Flowers at the Harvard Museum of Natural History
Thurs., Aug. 5, 2pm. $3/pp. Virtual Event.
Join us for a virtual tour of the famous Glass Flowers collection! Explore the amazing Ware Collection of Blaschka Glass Models of Plants by Leopold and Rudolf Blaschkka, and learn about the history, artistry, and significance of this unique collection.
Purchase by Aug. 4

Thurs, July 15, 2pm. Free. Virtual Event.
Learn how to play the penny whistle! 
Also called the tin whistle, penny whistles and flutes are the oldest musical instruments in the world. Bring your own D penny whistle, and by the end of the session you'll be able to play the Cat's Jig! Fun for all ages!
Sign up by July 14

Let's Go Fishing!
Thurs, July 22, 2pm. Free. Virtual Event.
Catch some fun with Let's Go Fishing! Learn about casting, rigging your line,
fish identification, fishing laws & ethics with the Mass Wildlife Angler Education Program! A family friendly program ~ perfect for beginners learning the basics of fishing.
Sign up by July 21

Summer of Spice!
Tues, July 20, 2pm. Free. Virtual Event.
Join Suman Shah, of Fork on a Road, as she unlocks the secrets of seasoning using Indian spices. Learn how to create a simple gluten-free crepe, topped with a five-spiced lemony gin cocktail! Perfect summer refreshment!
Sign up by July 19

• Fitness. Stay active and keep moving with:
  -MIT@ 2:50: Daily meditation, reflection and relaxation for the MIT community
  -MIT Medical/Community Wellness: Afternoon Unwind.
   A guided relaxation practice to help release tight muscles and soften mental
   tension. Register anytime. 
  -MIT Recreation: Virtual Group Exercises including yoga, zumba, pilates,
   Bodyweight Bootcamp & more
   
• Full STEAM Ahead. MIT's new Full STEAM Ahead Site offers a great new set of tools for K-12 learning, offering science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics based instructional materials to find innovative solutions to the challenges of learning at a distance. A collaboration between different labs at MIT including The Education Arcade, MIT Open Learning, and the Abdul Latif Jameel World Education Lab (J-WEL).
   
• List Visual Arts Center. Let's you connect with the museum at home. The List also has a wonderful collection of artist's videos and forum discussions.
   
• MIT Center for WorkLife and Wellbeing. Helpful resources include Webinar Series (Finding Balance: Mindful Living and Working), MIT MyLife Services, caring for yourself and supporting children and elderly family members, plus video recordings, daily meditation sessions and more at MIT Center for WorkLife and Wellbeing.
   
• MIT Endicott House.  Join the MIT Endicott House for free virtual workshops!
   
• MIT Libraries.  Free online resources include textbooks, e-books, journals, , and access to movies and documentaries with mit.kanopy.com. Online resources are available to current students, faculty, and staff.
   
• MIT Museum. Explore these amazing virtual resources from the MIT Museum - STEAM Activities at Home; Virtual Idea Hub (using everyday materials to build, create, tinker and engineer - i.e. Square Bubbles & Kitchen Chemistry; Paper Bridges, Optical Illusions & more); MIT Chats; Movie Nights & more.
   
• MIT Open Learning. A wealth of educational resources for families with Scratch programming language, First Year STEM Classes from MIT, Introduction to Computer Science using Python, MITx YouTube Channel, Intro to Aerospace Engineering: Astronautics and Human Spaceflight, & more.
   
• MIT Press Virtual Book Talk Series. For more on the author talks, check the MIT Press website.
   
• MIT Women's League.
  Connect with the MIT Women's League!
  •Sing Online with the MIT Women's Chorale
  •Book Discussion Group
  •Fiber Crafts Group - craft online with friends, Tuesdays
  More info: wleague@mit.edu.
  

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• Audubon Adventures. Engaging students in grades 3 through 6 in nature study and environmental stewardship with Audubon Adventures.
   
• Bedtime Lullabies with Boston Lyric Opera. Bringing the community together through the comfort of music and family bedtime rituals with Bedtime Lullabies.
   
• Boston Athenaeum. Tour the Virtual Collections, and explore their Digital Collections, Maps, Paintings and Sculpture, Prints & Photographs & more. Plus join Family Story Time, Monday through Saturday at 10:30am via live video on the Athenaeum's Facebook Page.
   
• Boston Children's Museum Great learning resources & stay at home activities.
   
• Boston Public Library Virtual Storytime. Great resources for families from the Boston Public Library~ 123 Andres, Julia's Bouncing Babies Storytime, Woke Kindergarten, Story Pirates, Storytime Seedlings, Sesame Street Podcast, Story Time From Space ~ with the Boston Public Library Virtual Storytime.
   
• Cambridge Science Festival. Great online resources for famiies including CPL STEAM Vault and the Sounds of CSF Spotify playlist!
   
• The Daily Splash. Educational and Fun Family TV with the Daily Splash! Free.
  Great parenting resource and emmy-winning programming.
   
• Discovery Museum. Incredible online resource list for families including fun learning activities, interactive and at-home resources offered by museums, organizations, and other creators around the world. From tinfoil ferries to the largest pool of jello & more.
   
• Free Chess Games for Kids Online. New England Chess School offers
  free virtual chess games every Sunday for ages 6-14. Students see and hear the teacher, the event moderator and friends over live video. Moderators review and comment on games live as the game progresses. A great way to pratice and play the game of chess in an interactive virtual classroom! All skills welcome.
   
• Full STEAM Ahead. MIT's new Full STEAM Ahead Site offers a great new set of tools for K-12 learning, offering science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics based instructional materials to find innovative solutions to the challenges of learning at a distance. A collaboration between different labs at MIT including The Education Arcade, MIT Open Learning, and the Abdul Latif Jameel World Education Lab (J-WEL).
   
• Harvard Art Museums from Home. Explore the Harvard Art Museums virtually with Art Talks (Painting Edo, How Egyptian Art works, and more), Family-Friendly Resources (Materials Lab at Home, Coloring Ancient Egypt activity book, Sculpture at the Harvard Art Museums) & more with Harvard Art Museums from Home.
   
• How To Talk to Kids About Race. Recommended reading, from preschool to young adult, from the Boston Children's Museum:
  How To Talk to Kids About Race: Books and Resources That Can Help.
   
• Mass Audubon Society: Nature at Home Nature videos, family activities, spring birds & more with Nature at Home.
   
• MIT Open Learning. A wealth of educational resources for families with Scratch programming language, First Year STEM Classes from MIT, Introduction to Computer Science using Python, MITx YouTube Channel, Intro to Aerospace Engineering: Astronautics and Human Spaceflight, & more.
   
• Museum of Science. STEM family activities at the Museum of Science including Engineering Fun at Home, Developing Pre-K problem solvers, Stem for Families, and more now online at MOSfromHome!
   
• NASA Home School Activities. Learn about Impact Craters, How to Make an Apollo Moon Capsule, construct a Balloon-Powered Rocket, Be a Spaceflight Explorer, Build the Tallest Spaghetti Structure, Make Edible Asteroids, Learn How to Live in Space as an Astronaut, Make Stomp Rockets, Take a Virtual Trip to Mars and more with NASA's Home School STEM Activities for grade K-12.
   
• New England Aquarium's at-home resource page!
   
• Nova's Parentalogic. Raising kids is hard enough under normal circumstances, but life these days is anything but normal. If you feel like you're suddenly questioning everything about your parenting, a new YouTube series from NOVA and PBS is here to help. The show is called Parentalogic and is streamed on YouTube.
   
• Peabody Essex Museum (PEM) Pals Program. PEM staff member Bethany Beatrice, aka Miss Bethany, hosts the weekly PEM Pals program virtually with its own theme song and original animated characters. A much-loved story hour for little ones! Every Wed., 10:30 am.
   
• PBS At-Home Learning Broadcast and Digital Resources.
  To prepare for the start of the school year unlike any other, a variety of free high-quality, accessible media resources are provided by PBS with PBS Kids 24/7 (ages 2-8) and the WORLD Channel At-Home Learning Service (ages 6-12) - providing added enrichment and support for children's educational needs. Free broadcasts and digital resources (including PBS Learning Media, pbskids.org, PBS KIDS for parents) support both in-school and at-home learning for students.
   
• Puppet Showplace. Treeples, a live-action short film & puppetry adventure, now available online through Puppet Showplace Connect. Treeples helps kids know they can be brave and strong in the face of the unknown. Plus check out the Gottabees family activities; Wonder Spark Projects; Paper Heart Projects; Make a Monkey craft; and explore the Center for Puppetry Arts. Great resource for families.
   
• USS Constitution: A Sailor's Life. An education series that explores life at sea as a historic sailor on the USS Constitution. Learn about Sailor Uniforms, Firepower, Animals on the USS Constitution, Sailor Hobbies and Games, Music on the USS Constitution, Sailor Food & Meals, Sailor Chores & more with a Sailor's Life.
   
• Weather Wiz Kids. Explore the fascinating world of weather with Weather Wiz Kids! Try some fun weather experiments - Tornado in a Bottle, How to Bend Water, Creating a Baking Soda Volcano, Suck an Egg into a Bottle, Learn about the Water Cycle - plus learn about weather folklore, weather games, flashcards & more!
   
• WGBH Distance Learning Center. The WGBH Distance Learning Center offers great learning activities for children K-12.
   
• YouTube's Learn@Home. Learn@Home highlights educational YouTube channels that students (preschoolers ages 5+ and kids 13 & older) can watch at home.
  In partnership with Khan Academy, Discovery Education, Cool School, PBS Kids, Sesame Street & others.

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• Beyond the Page: WGBH Book Club. Join Beyond the Page: WGBH Book Club's Facebook group for reading goals and discussion.
   
• Boston By Foot. New virtual presentations from Boston by Foot every month!
   
• Boston Children's Museum Great learning resources & stay at home activities.
   
• Boston Public Library. Virtual resources, with a Boston Public Library e-card, include a free Ancestry Library; weekly Creative Kids Challenge (from epic fort building to crawly creatures), Online Educational Learning Tools (preparing young ones for Kindergarten with Miss Humblebee's Academy, to online eBooks for teen with the TeenBookCloud) & more.
   
• Brattle Theatre. The Brattle is curating lists of their favorite movies within a theme each week. Visit their virtual programs listing for movie ideas, and information on where and how to stream them!
   
• Brookline Booksmith. Virtual author talks at the Brookline Booksmith. New online events posted every week!
   
• Concord Museum. Explore the Concord Museum virtually with History at Home.
   
• Coolidge Corner - Virtual Screenings. Movies and conversations at Coolidge Corner for nominal fees.
   
• Digital Commonwealth Massachusetts Collections Online. Explore historical collections from libraries, museums, and archives across MA. Access to photographs, manuscripts, books, and other materials of historical interest that have been digitized and made available by members of the Digital Commonwealth, a statewide consortium of libraries, museums, archives, and historical societies from across MA.
   
• Harvard Museum of Natural History. Lecture videos, and exhibits with videos: Sea Creatures in Glass, Glass Flowers, Romer Hall of Vertebrate Paleontology, Earth and Planetary Sciences Gallery.
   
• Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. Explore the ISG with an amazing virtual tour. Check out a behind-the-scenes Gardner Greenhouse Tour and choreographers-in-residence El Jaleo performance.
   
• John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum.  View their online exhibits including JFK's White House Diary, JFK's desk in the Oval Office, the Civil Rights Movement and more.
   
• Massachusetts Air and Space Museum, Hyannis, MA. Showcasing exhibits on the history of aviation and space exploration, and focusing on ties to Massachusetts people and industry, check out the fascinating online exhibits at the Massachusetts Air and Space Museum. Online exhibits include East Boston Airport Early Airplanes, Crocker Snow: From the Biplane Era to the Jet Age!, Marie Lepore: Early Massachusetts Aviator, Northeast Airlines: 1933-1972, and more.
   
• Massachusetts Historical Society. View their online exhibits.
   
• The Museum of African American History. Immerse yourself in Afro-American history and heritage with the Museum of African American History's online exploration.
   
• Museum of Fine Arts. Visit the Museum of Fine Arts virtually with curatorial insights, lectures, demonstrations of musical instruments at the MFA, conservation at the MFA, playlists and more.
   
• Museum of Science. STEM family activities at the Museum of Science including Engineering Fun at Home, Developing Pre-K problem solvers, Stem for Families, and more now online at MOSfromHome!
   
• Nantucket Whaling Museum. Learn about the connection between whaling and candle-making, and Nantucket's storied whaling past at the Nantucket Whaling Museum. Collections include beautiful scrimshaw, artifacts from the whaling era, a 46-foot sperm whale & more. 
   
• New England Aquarium's at-home resource page!
   
• Newport Mansions Virtual Tours. Amazing resource of virtual tours of the Newport Mansions with the Preservation Society of Newport County. Tours include the Marble House, the Elms, Hunter House, the Issac Bell House, Chateau-sur-Mer...plus the Tiffany Glass Exhibition, & more.
   
• Peabody Essex Museum, Salem, MA.  #PEMfromHome. Take a deep dive into the virtualized collections, read the stories and explore. Enjoy creative projects for children and families. Visit the museum's extensive blog. Listen to the latest PEMcast Podcast, and explore their archives here!
   
• Peabody Museum of Archeology and Ethnology. Harvard University, Cambridge. Explore and enjoy the online collection.
   
• USS Constitution. Explore the USS Constitution virtually! Daily virtual tours at 1pm on Facebook Live, plus educational resources, LEGO Ship Shape Competition, meet a historic sailor from "Old Ironsides", and more.
   

• Boston Dance Theatre. Online dance classes, performances and social events at Boston Dance Theatre. Registration required; donation suggested.
   
• Boston Lyric Opera. BLO's new digital platform, Bedtime Lullabies Online, and a new podcast, At Its (S)Core.
   
• Boston Symphony Orchestra BSO at Home: Self-produced videos from BSO musicians and conductors, daily curated audio offerings, and BSO HomeSchool with BSO musicians providing educational offerings in support of at-home learning. 
   
• Comedy! Comedian Bethany Van Delft and Artisanal Comedy launch "Live from the Pandemic!" a weekly live showcase of Boston comedians, Wednesdays at 9 pm.
   
• The Comedy Studio, Somerville, MA. Virtual comedy shows almost every day at the Comedy Studio!
   
• EcoTarium. A unique indoor-outdoor museum in Worcester, MA.  Set in an urban oasis, the EcoTarium offers a chance to walk through the treetops, take a thrilling multimedia jourey through the galaxy at a digital planetarium, meet wildlife, stroll nature trails, ride a narrow gauge railroad, and hands-on family-friendly exhibits.
   
• Folk Americana Roots Hall of Fame. Housed in the Wang Theatre, The Folk Americana Roots Hall of Fame (FARHOF) preserves and celebrates the history of Folk, Americana,and Roots music.  FARHOF is committed to protecting the legacy of this music and the history of its performers, as well as the artists who carry that legacy into the future.
   
• Huntington Theatre Company. Connect to Huntington @Home for online performances, distance learning, messages from artists, or sign up for entertaining phone calls from staff!
   
• Huntington Theatre's Dream Boston. Through short audio plays, Dream Boston asks local playwrights to imagine their favorite locations, landmarks, and friends in a future Boston, when we can once again meet and thrive in our city.  "History, romance, politics, and compassion!" (Apple Podcast Review).  "Local spots come to life" (WBUR). "...their disparate stories also share something else: a sense of hope" (The Christian Science Monitor). Check out Dream Boston.
   
• North End Music and Performing Arts Center. Explore the online virtual performances, music & Open Mic Night at NEMPAC!
   
• Seacoast Repertory Theatre, Portsmouth, NH. Performances on Crowdcast for $1 or whatever support you like to offer. New performances every week.
   
• SpeakEasy Play Discussion Club. Join Speak Easy Stage Company for a weekly discussion of some of today's most exciting scripts with the SpeakEasy Play Discussion Club. The next series of discussions will include a Spotlight on Latinx Voices with four plays that explore Latinx lives, stories, characters and culture. Plays include Sonia Flew, Mojada, Our Dear Dead Drug Lord, and Dream Hou$e.
   

• Book Clubs & Book Talks.
  -Boston.com Book Club. Monthly review of fiction and non-fiction books from local New England authors or a book set in New England. Connect with fellow members, authors, stories and all things local.
   
• Chocolate Tour. Satisfy the sweet tooth with a virtual Chocolate Tour with Taza Chocolate or get a Virtual Tour with Tasting Kit.
   
• Cooking Classes with The Refined Cook. Free virtual cooking classes with The Refined Cook.
   
• Dance Classes. Flamenco & Sevillanas Virtual Dance Classes. Classes for children and adults.
   
• Puzzle Break (virtual). Puzzle Break launches The Grimm Escape, a virtual escape room.
   
• Harvard Bookstore. Check out their virtual events series.
   
• Local Libraries' Contactless Pickup
  -Boston Public Library now offers contactless pickup at more than a dozen branches through BPL To Go. Massachusetts residents may be eligible for a BPL eCard to use for online resources like Hoopla.
  -Cambridge Public Library also offers contactless pickups
   
• Mass Audubon: Explore Nature at Home!
   
• Meditation, Yoga, & Online Gyms. Stay active and keep moving with:
  -MIT@ 2:50: Daily meditation, reflection and relaxation for the MIT community
  -MIT Medical/Community Wellness: Afternoon Unwind.
   Mon, Wed, and Fri., 5-5:20 pm. A guided relaxation practice to help release tight
   muscles and soften mental tension.
  -MIT Recreation: Virtual Group Exercises including yoga, zumba, pilates,
   Bodyweight Bootcamp & more
  -Planet Fitness virtual workouts everyday at 7pm
  -Stop Breathe Think - Meditation for kids 5-10
  -DoYogaWithMe offers hundreds of free online yoga videos for all levels.
   
• The Paint Bar. Weekend Paint Bar paint parties on Zoom!
   
• Popcorn Book Club. Podcast. A group of smart, funny friends meet together every week to talk about the book they're reading - destined to arrive on the big screen or via streaming.  Fun reviews of buzzy books with the Popcorn Book Club!
  

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FROM AROUND THE WORLD: Virtual Resources

• Aquarium and Zoo Livestreams. CBS article listing aquarium, zoo, and nature livestreams; plus more!
   
• Brains On! Podcast. The creative award-winning podcast, Brains On! includes over 100 episodes to pique kids' natural curiosity and wonder using science and history. Popular shows include Cats: Glowing Eyes, Puffy Tails and Secret Purrs, Fire vs. Lasers, How Does the Internet Get to Us? and more.
   
• Covid Photo Museum. A virtual museum of COVID-19 photography. Curated collections dedicated to preserving thought-provoking photography from the time of the quarantine.
   
• Explore.org. Live cams from around the world: elephants, gorillas, pandas, Nasa Space cam, & more!
   
• Google: Google Maps of museums around the world offering virtual tours. Explore the Hidden Worlds of National Parks! Cure cabin fever with Google Doodle games.
   
• Google Sky. Travel the stars with Google Sky. View the position of planets, explore constellations, watch the birth of distant galaxies & more.
   
• Interactive Tour of Ellis Island. Learn more about the more than 12 million immigrants who made their first stop in America at Ellis Island between 1892 and 1954 with Scholastic's Interactive Tour of Ellis Island. Hear first-hand stories told by people who came through Ellis Island; see historical photographs and films; and learn more about the importance of Ellis Island in the story of American immigration.
   
• The Joy of Painting with Bob Ross. PBS-recommended watch. Join Bob Ross, from The Joy of Painting series, which ran from 1983-1994 on PBS, for tips, life lessons, painting, joy, and baby squirrels with livestreams of reruns on https://www.twitch.tv/bobross. A peaceful, restful, rejuvenating interlude.
   
• Monterey Bay Aquarium. Check out their new learning-at-home resources
   
• Museum of the American Revolution. Philadelphia, PA. Take a virtual field trip with the Museum of the American Revolution. Go on a behind-the-scenes tour; see real artifacts and documents from the American Revolution; learn the stories of two teenagers who served during the Revolutionary War; and see the actual tent that George Washington lived in as he traveled with his soldiers. Sponsored by Scholastic.
   
• National Gallery of Art. Virtual tours and family interactives. View current exhibitions and access audio and video recordings of past lectures online at the National Gallery of Art.
   
• National Museum of Natural History. Virtual Tour.
   
• NPR's Life Kit Podcast. Everyone needs a little help being human. From sleep to saving money to parenting and more, talk to the experts to get the best advice out there on NPR's Life Kit Podcast.
   
• Photo Ark Project. National Geographic photography project with Photo Ark founder Joel Sartore captures images of more than 10,000 species world-wide. A multiyear effort to document every species living in zoos and wildlife sanctuaries, inspiring action through education, and helping to save wildlife by supporting on-the-ground conservation efforts.
   
• Smithsonian. Scanned 3D Models
   
• Other Smithsonian Museums. Virtual Tours
   

• The 24 HR Plays. Watch plays created and produced in 24 hours.
   
• Ailey All Access. Find comfort and joy in the beauty of dance by virtually connecting with Alvin Ailey Dance performances on Ailey All Access. Also includes Ailey Extension: Real Classes for Real People. Keep on Dancing with Alvin Ailey All Access!
   
• Great Live Streaming Theatre. Playbill's schedule of upcoming and current free live stream broadcasts.  Performances include Lincoln Center at Home with Nathan Lane, Ann, Macbeth & more.
   
• National Geographic TV. Watch shows like The Incredible Dr. Pol.
   
• National Theatre. National Theatre at Home offers free full length plays on their National Theatre YouTube Channel every Thursday.